A home-lab experiment: resonance and sound speed using telescopic vacuum cleaner pipes

Abstract

Abstract We propose a home laboratory in which a telescopic vacuum cleaner pipe and a smartphone are used to investigate sound speed and acoustic resonance. When the pipe is hit or the hands clapped near one end, the sound produced is registered by a smartphone. The resonant frequency is obtained using a smartphone and an appropriate application. Varying the pipe’s length and registering the corresponding resonant frequency allows to obtain the sound speed. This home-lab, first proposed during Covid-19 pandemic, has been incorporated as a home challenge to experiment with acoustic resonance in new normal times.